A POLICE officer and former paramedic told an inquest jury he believed a man who died in police custody should have been taken to hospital rather than a police station.

Sergeant Christopher Wilson said a cut he noticed on victim Michael Powell’s right wrist and a suggestion that his drink had been spiked prompted him to ask an inspector whether the father-of-three should be taken to the station or to hospital.

He said as medical staff had been pre-warned of Mr Powell’s arrival at the station he felt reassured he would receive timely treatment.

Mr Powell, aged 38, died in September 2003 minutes after arriving at Thornhill Road police station.

He had earlier been held on the ground and handcuffed by three police officers, including Sgt Wilson, before being carried to a police van, where he was put on the floor to be driven into custody.

Sgt Wilson said: “I had my knee over his forearm after he tried to bite my wrist.

“I felt it was necessary at the time to prevent myself from being injured.”

When asked by Rajiv Menon, counsel for Mr Powell’s family, yesterday whether he would have taken him for immediate medical assessment he replied: “I don’t deny the fact that if it had been my decision, it would have been hospital, yes.”

Officers were first called to Wilton Street, Lozells following reports Mr Powell had smashed windows at his mother’s home.

When the first patrol car arrived Mr Powell, who suffered with mental health problems, ran at it with an unknown weapon and smashed a rear window.

Pathologists later found Mr Powell had sustained 28 different cuts and abrasions to his body.